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MHG26672 - Hill fort - Phoineas Hill, Kirkhill

Summary

Ruined hill fort at Phoineas Hill, Kirkhill

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH54SW 11 5335 4255.

At NH 5335 4255 is a fort (E Meldrum, 22 Beaufort Rd, Inverness) consisting mainly of a stone wall built across the SW approach to the summit of a rocky hill. The wall thus isolates an uneven area 120.0m NE-SW by 80.0m protected by precipitous cliffs on the N and E. The wall, averaging 3.0m wide, has been extensively robbed, but a line of boulders on edge of the outer face, and one or two of the inner face, survive for a length of c. 35.0m, with traces of rubble core extending from either end as far as the commencement of the cliff. An entrance roughly central to the SW side is denoted by a gap about 3.5m wide with the SE side flanked by a line of six boulders which project forward for 2.0m from the outer face, indicating the former existence of a forework of which no other trace survives. In the W corner is another gap about 2.0m wide which may be another entrance, but could be due to robbing.
Surveyed at 1:2500 scale.
Visited by OS (I S S) 9 April 1973.

This site is included in the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland online database. See link below for site entry. <1>

The Inverness Field Club, led by Donald Coghill, surveyed a number of sites in the Aird area between 1987 and 1989. Northeast of Phoineas Hill. A heap of large stones which has been bulldozed over the edge of a steep cliff, lies on the slope below a plateau. A circle of large foundation stones placed at the start of building operations in the construction of a hill fort could be seen on the northeast end of this flat ridge in the early 1970's, but can no longer be found among the fir trees. There was seen in the not-quite-completed circle an entrance on the south side, and one of the erect long stones seen at the side of the entrance at that time can now be seer lying on top of the heap. It would appear treat that fort building operations had been overtaken by some disaster shortly after commencement, as only big stones for the foundation outline had been gathered and placed. Also in the early 1970's, hut circles could be seen in the newly planted flat ground below and to the south of the circle, the area on the plateau being planted shortly afterwards. <2>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5336 4254 (128m by 110m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH54SW
Civil Parish	KILTARLITY AND CONVINTH
Geographical Area	INVERNESS

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External Links (4)